80 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



warlike Philip Augustus only a few years after the death of 

 Richard. 



The timber galleries (Jwurds), which were thrown out on the 

 crests of curtains and towers when in a state of siege, occupy a full 

 meed of attention. These appear to have been too little considered 

 by archaeologists when examining the remains of castellated build- 

 ings. When attack was anticipated, the defenders strengthened 

 their position by erecting galleries whence they could command the 

 bases of the curtain walls and exterior towers, which they would 

 otherwise only have been enabled to protect so far as they were 

 flanked by towers ; and, as the operations of the enemy, both by 

 mines and cats (chats, gats, gates') and battering-rams (moutons, bos- 

 sons), were directed to these, it will be seen how important their de- 

 fence became. This accession to the means of defence was as com- 

 mon to the English castles as to the French. Froissart, the French 

 historian, who, from his five years' service with the queen of our 

 Edward III., as secretary, would probably depict as an eye-witness, 

 has left among his MSS. a vignette showing that the castle of New- 

 castle possessed these liourds. In times of peace they were removed. 

 They overhung on both sides of the curtain, forming an inner as 

 well as outer gallery. At first the supports upon which they rested 

 were of timber likewise ; subsequently they were supported on cor- 

 bels of stone, as at Coucy ; and ultimately they were succeeded by 

 overhanging stone parapets (cliemins de ronde*) resting on corbels 

 trebly or polygonally notched. There are numerous instances of 

 overhanging stone parapets to English gateways and towers, the Ed- 

 wardian castles making free use of this effective mode of construc- 

 tion. Windsor, Morpeth, Conway, Warkworth, Brancepeth, the 

 Pele Towers of Northumberland, are specimens in question. 



M. Le Due shows an intimate acquaintance with the various 

 engines of war, and with skill depicts every particular of a siege. 

 In the Dictionnaire Raisonne de I'Arckitecture these subjects are 

 treated at still greater length ; and it is to be regretted that all in- 

 stead of part of the illustrations pertaining to this branch of the sub- 

 ject were not inserted in the present volume. Engineers (ingeg- 

 neors) were specially appointed for the construction of military en- 

 gines as early as the end of the twelfth century. There was the 

 moving wooden tower, which, running on rollers, could be propelled 

 up to the castle walls, and which, being furnished with a movable 

 bridge, permitted the besiegers to land on the parapets ; then there 

 was the movable colored platform called the cat (the Roman mus- 

 culus, rat), which afforded cover to the assailants when they wanted 

 to undermine the towers or curtains with pickaxes or fill up the moat 

 with earth or stones ; further, there were the battering-rams and the 

 catapults (trebucliets) , mangonels, calabres, and pierriers, all of which 

 were worked by counterpoise, and possessed accuracy of aim, to the 

 prevention of the besieged from keeping upon their walls. During 

 the formation and putting into position of these several engines the 

 workers were protected by palisades, brattishes, and movable man- 

 telets (wooden screens). The wooden turrets, the cats, and other 

 machines were covered with raw ox and horse hides, to prevent them 

 from catching fire, as the besieged used their utmost endeavors to 



